Favorite YA novels from 2013

Silje and I have put together a post of our favorite YA novels from 2013*. We cheated a bit and sneaked in a few adult fantasy titles on the list as well, we hope you don't mind. Did any of these books grab a spot on your list of favorites?

*The favorites listed below are not necessarily published in 2013, but read by us in 2013.

Best sequel:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Laini Taylor's prose and imaginative story.

I am thrilled to say that Fire more than lived up to it's big sister The Circle. If you haven't heard of this trilogy you might want to read my review of the first book by clicking here. This is a bit of a Swedish sensation really a YA fantasy sold to 29 countries all over the world. The first book kept me up all night and that was just the case this time around as well.

Best series starter:

Best standalone contemporary

Check out Silje's review here.

Clickety click to read Silje's review.

Click here and the magic will trasport you to my review of this wonderful novel.

Best historical YA:

Lovely characters stole my heart and the setting was a fascinating and realistically painted. Check out my full review by pressing this link.

A gripping historical read that alternates between our time and the time of The French Revolution. The main character is struggling to come to terms with the passing of her younger brother. When traveling to France with her father she stumbles upon the diary of Alexandrine Paradis who lived and worked with little Prince right until the very end. Take a trip down into the catacombs of Paris with Revolution, you won't regret it.

Favorite adult fantasy:

As you can see we're on the Song of Ice & Fire wagon

This urban fantasy-series was a new discovery I made last year. In style it kind of reminds me a bit of the Harry Dresden files by Jim Butcher, it is fun and a bit Harry Potterish for grown ups. This series is set in London in our time.

Best series ender:

Most entertaining:

Stay tuned for I might just post a book review this week. I am almost finished with Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. A very entertaining read about strong young witches in a time where females were to be seen and not heard. Love that the book has given me that delightful butterflies feeling several times already.

Favorite graphic novels from 2013

Happy belated new year everyone! Check out our favorite graphic novels from 2013! Please leave a comment and tell us what you think of those of the novels you might have read. Agree or disagree perhaps?

Mari's favorites

Well this have been a very good year when it comes to graphic novels on my part. I have read so much good stuff and I have a secret hope that some of you will check out one, or more, of these novels after reading this post.

Lou: Secret Diary by Julien Neel

Lou is just the sweetest, funniest and coolest girl ever. If you are or ever have been young, you'll love this series about Lou and her mother. For young girls and adults alike.

Also I am very impressed by the fact that a male author can pull off writing a believable teenage girl like Julien Neel does here with Lou.

Baby's In Black by Arne Bellstorf

Reading fiction and learning new stuff at the same time is never wrong. Baby's in Black can be read as a romance or a true story, because it is, or both. I never, it never gets old. There is just something magical and universal about their songs.

Check out my full review by clicking here.

Castle Waiting, vol. 1 by Linda Medley

My biggest blogging shame from 2013 is that I failed to review Castle Waiting. That is so sad, because every lover over fantasy and fairy tales should read this book. The story takes a bit of this and that from known stories and Medley puts her own spin on things. The story has a strong touch of feminism in an excellent way. READ THIS, please, because this is a hidden gem.

Blue is the warmest color by Julie Maroh

Blue is most certainly the warmest color from now on. The last book I read in 2013 ended up being one of my favorite reads. Love can be painful sometimes and becoming an adult can be difficult. You have to make the choices that  is true to who you are. Sailing up to be one of my favorite love stories of all times. Oh and yes this is a LGBT read. I hope it can bring more understanding to those people who judge people for loving a person of the same sex.

This novel has been adapted into a movie, and I want to see it. Bring tissues might be a good advice to those thinking about watching the movie. I cried when I read it and will surely cry some more when I watch the movie.

Siljes favorite:

Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet

In the series about Aya you get to see a side a side of the African country the Ivory Coast that is warm and full of life. The story is funny and the illustrations are colorful and sets the mood of the story.

Click this link if you want to read Siljes review of the first novel(of five) in the series about Aya.

Stay tuned for more posts on our favorites from 2013. Have a great weekend when the time comes.

Favorite Heroines from 2011

Mari's favorite heroines from 2011:

So I've noticed a trend in my choice of favorite heroines.. most of them have a violent streak to them. I'm not pro violence IRL by no means but when it comes to vampires, zombies and outright cruel people in literature I have to admit that I enjoy me some ass kicking! Hell (pardon the language) I would never give in to a brain sucking zombie or a vampire drooling for my blood without putting up a damn good fight. They all stand up for themselves, something I believe is very important that every girl does! Anyways here are my choices for 2011:

Val from Bite Me by Parker Blue:

Val is just such a great and entertaining heroine. She is vulnerable yet strong and a ace when it comes to kicking some serious vampire ass. This is a young adult series to pick up when you need a fast paced purely entertaining read!

Click here to read my review of Bite Me.


Mim from All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield:

Mim is one of the best female characters I’ve ever come across. We connected from the very first page. Mim is a dreamer and she has a set of rules that will help her achieve her goal. Through out the novel Mim has to confront her own rules and one by one they fall.. A very strong, level-headed, engaging character I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for her. Great personality and bff material. If you haven’t heard of this excellent debut novel I strongly recommend that you take a look at it!

Click here to read my review of All I Ever Wanted.

Nina's favorite heroines from 2011:

After writing down the following three names for my favorite heroines, I realized that they're all strong, independent women with a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor - and they're all readers! MacKayla loves Harry Potter, and always prefers the book over the movie. Georgina works in a bookstore, and crushes on her favorite author. Merit was, before being turned, a grad student at the English department of the University of Chicago, and loves spending time in the Cadogan library. So I guess my favorite heroines are all different versions of who I kinda wanna be. If that makes sense;)



MacKayla Lane from the Fever series by Karen Marie MoningIt's hard for me to describe Mac without giving away five books worth of spoilers, so let's just say that this girl goes through more sh*t in a year than any of us will in a lifetime, and still comes out on top. She is an inspiration, not because she is perfect, but because she is so human in her flaws, and she knows this better than any. 
Georgina Kincaid from the Georgina Kincaid series (Succubus) by Richelle MeadGeorgina has the perfect life, if you look away from the whole "recruited by Hell to steal souls" part. She works as an assistant manager at a bookstore, she has shapeshifting powers as part of the succubus deal so there's no such thing as a bad hair day for her, and she hangs out with vampires, a demon and an angel - usually at bars. I just love Georgina's sarcastic humor, her dry been-there-done-that attitude (after millennia as a succubus, she really has), and the fact that she's still a hopeless romantic after all these years.
Merit from The Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill Merit is snarky, strong and confident, and never backs down for anyone - hottie vampire and her creator Ethan Sullivan included. I love that Merit starts out with this "Why should I care?" attitude, yet ends up caring more about protecting her vampires than anyone. She may not always make the smartest decisions, but she always gets results.









Who was your favorite heroine from 2011?

My top 10 from the first quarter of 2011

Inspired by kathy's post Best of 2011, So Far over at her blog Read This Instead. I wanted to give a short summary of my favorites so far this year.

In total by the end of March I'd started 26 books and finsihed 25, the one was one I just couldn't finish.

My favorites so far:
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Last Full Measure by Ann Rinaldi
Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Some of my favorites I haven't yet reviewed and those are: 
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

So that's my favorites so far this year. Do tell me yours :)